(08-06-2017 03:46 PM)stugatz Wrote: What's the deal with Orthros by the way - it precedes DL, and it's highly structured, so I assume it's Eastern Orthodox's version of the Rosary. Are there beads or prayer ropes to go with it?

It's a daily prayer/liturgical service. It is not like the Rosary, but more like the Liturgy of the Hours. Here is a pretty good description of Orthos/Matins:

Quote:The Sunday Orthros consists of Fixed and Variable parts. The former are read and/or sung each Sunday except for certain feast days, while the variable parts depend on the eight tones and the church calendar. For the latter, it is important to consult the annual Taxis issued by the Patriarchate.

The Fixed Parts consist of the following:

The beginning prayers, the Six Psalms, and the Petitions of Peace; the Ektene that follows the Apolytikia & Theotokia; the Evlogetaria; the petitions which follow the Evlogetaria; the Having Beheld the Resurrection and Psalm 50; the prayer O God, save Your people ; the Hymn and Verses of the More Honorable Than the Cherubim; the petitions; the Theotokion; and, the Doxology and final hymns.

The Variable Parts are:

The Resurrection Apolytikia & Theotokia; the Kathismata; the Hypakoai and Anavathmoi; the Kontakia and Oikoi; the Katavasiai; the Morning Gospels; the Exaposteilaria; the Ainoi; and the Doxastika.

Orthodox Christianity might be the least cucked version of the faith available but I recently noticed something when I bring it up in conversation - reactions to it are genuinely positive from run-of-the-mill liberals. They're so anti-West and novelty-addicted, *anything* that's different is going to get a positive reception in comparison. Even if it's conservative and filled with fasting days, it's still exotic and interesting.

It's really funny how the decades of mocking nuns and priests have taken their toll. If not for Africa...the Latin Rite would be dead.

(09-06-2017 06:05 AM)trumpsta Wrote: What are your thoughts on the baptist church?

Do you believe that Jesus had long hair?

I think Jesus had a long beard, probably longer then that with which he is usually depicted an looked more like most people imagine god the Father only with brown/black hair and beard, not yet white obviously. His hair were probably secondary to his beard.

I am vary suspicious of all people who claim spiritual knowledge but don't have beards.

Therefore I am suspicious of Catholics and protestants (including baptists) and like Orthodox more.

You might think beard is superficial, but actually it is important. If you feel a need to cut off your most obvious indicator of masculinity you don't have a balanced "ying/yang" flow in you.

Of course I am also aware that many cultists know that and grow beards to gain trust and a respectable look more easily.

(09-06-2017 06:05 AM)trumpsta Wrote: What are your thoughts on the baptist church?

Do you believe that Jesus had long hair?

1 Corinthians 11:13-16

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

God does not contradicts his own word. Jesus had short hair like a man.

I'm going to attend an Orthodox Church Sunday service very soon. I've studied/read about the religion, listened to testimonies, talked with an Orthodox priest once when I went inside a church once at a Greek Festival.

(09-25-2017 09:39 AM)blacknwhitespade Wrote: I'm going to attend an Orthodox Church Sunday service very soon. I've studied/read about the religion, listened to testimonies, talked with an Orthodox priest once when I went inside a church once at a Greek Festival.

Made my way through multiple Eastern Orthodox churches - in particular, after Greek, I attended a Russian Orthodox service and a Ukrainian Orthodox service.

Both are extremely similar - unsurprising, as the major portion of Ukrainian Orthodox in the Ukraine are under Moscow's patriarchate. (I believe the majority of United States Ukrainian Orthodox churches are under Constantinople - quite a few are under Kiev's breakaway patriarch. It's very confusing.)

The Ukrainian service was in Ukrainian - Russian Orthodox was in Church Slavonic.

I also attended a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church a few times, and the service was all but identical to its Orthodox counterpart. Oddly, both had kneelers. Thought that was a Catholic thing only.

I am working two jobs now so I will likely visit the final three in the area (two Oriental Orthodox) after New Year's.

(09-25-2017 09:39 AM)blacknwhitespade Wrote: I'm going to attend an Orthodox Church Sunday service very soon. I've studied/read about the religion, listened to testimonies, talked with an Orthodox priest once when I went inside a church once at a Greek Festival.

What are some things I should be aware of as a first-time visitor?

Ask if they have the liturgy printed so you can follow along.

For a first time visitor, most churches have their own website so check to see if they have a section on liturgy service (i.e., The Divine Liturgy). Be aware of the Sign of the Cross fingers position (see pictures below as an example) in your Orthodox Church. Typically, this would be right to left.

Also, check to see what Orthodox Diocese organization your church is affiliated with. It would help give you an idea about their background, history, etc.

(09-06-2017 06:05 AM)trumpsta Wrote: What are your thoughts on the baptist church?

Do you believe that Jesus had long hair?

1 Corinthians 11:13-16

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

God does not contradicts his own word. Jesus had short hair like a man.

Perhaps, but what about Nazirites like Samson?

Also,

Leviticus 21:5 "They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard nor make any cuttings in their flesh."

"I'm not afraid of dying, I'm afraid of not trying. Everyday hit every wave, like I'm Hawaiian"

(09-06-2017 06:05 AM)trumpsta Wrote: What are your thoughts on the baptist church?

Do you believe that Jesus had long hair?

1 Corinthians 11:13-16

13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

God does not contradicts his own word. Jesus had short hair like a man.

Perhaps, but what about Nazirites like Samson?

Also,

Leviticus 21:5 "They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard nor make any cuttings in their flesh."

Samson was a Nazarite from birth.

Judges 13:5

For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Leviticus 21:5 tells us about requirements for priests for vows of Nazarite. Jesus was born in Nazareth but he was not under Nazarite vows as he drank wine(Matthew 11:19).

Eventually it does not matter what Jesus looked like. If it did we would find it in the scripture.

Rest In Peace. Granted they were Russian soldiers/mercs and carry appropriate exposure as combatants, but they had the chance to save their lives with one sentence uttered, and they chose to hold fast.

To my outside observation, this common phenomena (regularly demonstrated by Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and North Africa), is one of several characteristics distinguishing Orthodoxy from other Christian branches.

- The Pope is all but endorsing the Islamic overthrow of Europe
- Many old-line denominations have gone full female pastor/rainbow flag PC
- Remaining megachurchians are not appealing to me and lack gravity/solemn nature of the faith.

But when I am in an Orthodox service, the martyrs are always respected, never passed over. The Trinity and the Creed are always fully addressed. One does not leave this service without having addressed the tenets of his/her faith and receiving a short homily of the scriptures as well.

Quote:Beyond their theoretical similarities, both Capitalism and Marxism do not differ from each other in their sociological content. This can be seen from the fact that the basis of both is capital; the difference being that in the Capitalist system, the capital belongs to the few, while in the Marxist system it belongs to the State. In both theories, Man is dependent on the particular laws that determine the social setting.

The fact that there are two theories for the birth of Capitalism is of minor importance. What is certain and unquestionable is that Capitalism is the offspring of metaphysics as experienced in the West. A basic representative of the theory that Capitalism is closely connected to Protestant morality is the famous sociologist Max Weber. His work “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” is now considered a classic.

In this introduction, it must be underlined that it is an important fact that the development of the two basic social systems (Capitalism – Marxism) is linked to the predominance of the Franks in the West and the deviation of the Western world from the Roman mindset and lifestyle, as well as to the establishment of the feudal system in the West, which both these systems wished to undermine.

Further along, we shall attempt to present, as clearly as possible, Max Weber’s basic positions on the link between the spirit of Capitalism and Protestant ethics; and mostly, we shall examine the metaphysics of Capitalism as presented in his book that we are referring to. We do not intend to exhaust this subject and set out all of his opinions; however, we will set out the underlying spirit of this great sociologist.

Quote:"St. Gregory of Nyssa devotes a special treatise to the 'Life of Moses', in which the assent of Mount Sinai towards the darkness of incomprehensibility represents the way of contemplation, superior to Moses' first meeting with God when appeared to him in the burning bush. Then Moses saw God in light; now he enters the darkness, leaving behind him all that can be seen or know; there remains to him only the invisible and unknowable, but in this darkness is God."

I know all of the shit I talked about Christianity in another thread, but this Lent I've decided to rededicate my life to the Orthodox Church and Christ. I attended the Vespers service of Forgiveness Sunday last night. I still have my doubts and my criticisms but I can't deny that I feel deeply called in to the Church. I'm going to lay aside my doubt, lay aside my worldly criticisms, and plunge head first. Yeah I talked shit and I'll eat the crow that is my due.

Quote:"St. Gregory of Nyssa devotes a special treatise to the 'Life of Moses', in which the assent of Mount Sinai towards the darkness of incomprehensibility represents the way of contemplation, superior to Moses' first meeting with God when appeared to him in the burning bush. Then Moses saw God in light; now he enters the darkness, leaving behind him all that can be seen or know; there remains to him only the invisible and unknowable, but in this darkness is God."

(02-19-2018 05:06 PM)Raylan Givens Wrote: ... I attended the Vespers service of Forgiveness Sunday last night. I still have my doubts and my criticisms but I can't deny that I feel deeply called in to the Church. I'm going to lay aside my doubt, lay aside my worldly criticisms, and plunge head first...

I also attended the Forgiveness Sunday Vespers service. I've never seen such a service (Protestant background). Yet again I am impressed by the earnest and reverent nature of the entire congregation. Maybe this is why they discuss the "mystery" aspect of faith so much. This year, for the first time in my life, I will take the Lenten season seriously, not just Easter.

(02-20-2018 12:09 PM)debeguiled Wrote: The Orthodox Church is currently the cool person's church on the internet.

Interesting you say that, as I only observed a couple of hipster/yuppie types - to their credit they appear diligent and committed. Most attendees were either young families with apparent EE roots, or older US converts. Also, many ex-military types. I was in attendance at Veteran's Day and nearly half the men in the room (late 20s up to 60s) went forward for a blessing. Some of these men stand at military position of Attention as if they were on parade. Definitely not a SWPL thing - at least the one I have attended.

It may be cool on the internet, but in person it is a long and arduous service. There is less chance a low-investment virtue signaler is willing/able to put up with this liturgy (at least the 2+ hour standing versions).